Learning to Love
by Emerald Omen
Summary: A ship bound for Germany arrives at the docks with engine problems. Two engines are forced to stay on Sodor while the ship is repaired. The two German engines are Frieda and Ivan, whom participated at the Great Railway Show. I had always been a fan of Frieda, but I notice that she doesn't seem happy. Maybe I can befriend her, and learn about why she is the way she is?
1. Chapter 1

"Sir! _Sir_!" I heard one of my workers call. I looked up from my desk, and saw the Dock Assistant Manager entering the office.

"Yes?" I asked calmly. The Assistant Manager looked at his clipboard.

"The ship that was heading to Germany from the mainland has had an engine failure, and is being forced to dock here! There are two engines from the Great Railway Show on board! What should we do with them?" he asked. I leaned back in my chair and thought.

The Great Railway Show had just ended two days ago, and all of the engines were now heading back to their homes. If the ship to Germany was delayed, that meant... Ivan and Frieda would be stranded.

I had personally been to the Great Railway Show, and Frieda had been one of my favorites. She was big, blue, strong, and firm. It would be cool to meet her in person. I set down the stack of papers I had been holding.

Being the Dock Manager had some benefits, and one of those benefits was making decisions.

"Get Ivan and Frieda off of the ship once it docks. If the ship is having engine trouble, they'll either have to wait for it to be fixed, or for another ship bound for Germany to come. Either way, it will be several days, and there's no point in confining them. Let them roam around Sodor for a while. I'll go out and personally greet them." I said, standing up from my desk.

I followed the assistant manager out onto the docks, where a large freighter was being pulled into the harbor by several tugboats. It had a German flag waving from its mast.

Once it was in position, Cranky lowered his train claw into the ship's cargo hold, and as it finally raised, I saw... Ivan being raised out of the ship.

Ivan was a small shunting diesel who had done fairly well with his challenge. He had taken second overall in the competition, losing only to Sodor's own Thomas, and Ashima from India. They had both been declared winners due to a technical foul.

As soon as Ivan was placed onto the tracks, he was smiling happily as all of the people in the area went over to talk to him and congratulate him.

I looked back as Cranky's hook lowered again, and pulled out... a massive blue tender from the ship.

He set it onto the tracks carefully, then his hook went back to the ship, and pulled out the massive German engine herself. Frieda, who was looking fairly unhappy, as she apparently always did. I stayed a fair distance away, keeping a careful watch on not only Cranky, but the rest of the harbor. It was my job, after all.

Eventually, you heard a CLANG! As Frieda was set onto the tracks, and her tender was connected. I noticed that although she was right next to Ivan, not one person was paying her any mind. I slowly walked towards her, and felt a little scared.

She really was a massive engine. Six massive red drive wheels, four small wheels in front, and two in the back. A massive streamlined blue front end, with four headlights built in, two speed panels, one on each side of her face, and a small yellow stripe down her side.

As I finally got close enough, Frieda was looking down at the ground angirly. No... wait...

Upon closer inspection, Frieda didn't actually look angry. Her brow was furrowed, and she certainly wasn't smiling, but I didn't think she looked angry. She actually looked... sad. But she was trying to cover it up with her natural tough demeanor.

"Hello Frieda." I finally said, causing her to look up at me.

"Vat do _you_ vant?" she asked in a sharp, heavily German oriented voice. I smiled, hoping she would understand that I was a fan.

"I'm the Sodor Dock Manager. It's my job to greet all visitors that come in via ship, but I thought I'd start with you, since Ivan is already getting plenty of attention.." I said. Frieda looked towards Ivan, and scoffed grumpily.

"He _alvays_ gets all zee attention." she said. I walked up to her.

"You know, I was rooting for you at the Great Railway Show." I said. Frieda showed a small sign of surprise.

"Vere you really?" she asked. I nodded.

"You kidding? I was amazed by the amount of pulling power all you engines had. I thought you did well." I said. Frieda scowled.

"I did not place vell." she huffed. I shrugged.

"Maybe so, but you are still just as strong as the others. You did the same thing they all did. You got the heavily loaded freight cars moving."

Frieda stayed silent. I folded my arms.

"Well regardless, since you're going to be stuck here for a little while, feel free to explore the island. If you need anything, just ask for Anon. And please, do try to cheer up a little. Everyone likes to see a pretty smile." I said, walking back to my office. Frieda watched me go.

"As eef I vould need to ask you for anything." she muttered, before steaming away.

. . .

I leaned back in my office chair. Besides the Germany bound ship being stalled by engine failure, nothing interesting had happened all day. I stared at the clock, which read 4:45pm. Fifteen minutes until I could head home. I decided to go out and walk around the dock to make sure everything was as it should be.

As I walked out my door, I was surprised to see Frieda sitting in a siding, looking bored.

"How are you doing, Frieda?" I asked. She barely cast me a glance. She was watching the ocean silently.

"Nul acht funfzehn." she said. I didn't even bother to try and understand that.

"Come again?" I asked.

"I vant to go home. I miss eet." she said. I took a seat next to her on a pile of lumber.

"I'm sure you do. I don't know how long it will take to fix your ship, but it won't be for a few days at least. I'm sorry." I said. Frieda tore her gaze away from the ocean to look at you.

"Vat am I schupposed to do? I vill not shtand by und do nothing." she asked. I thought.

"Well, we could always use help here, moving freight around."

" _Inakzeptabel_! I am _not_ a shunter!" Frieda said loudly. I stood up firmly.

"Well I'm only in charge of the docks. You want anything else, you'll have to ask Sir Topham Hatt!" I said, walking back to the office. All I did was try to help, and Frieda bit my head off! Maybe she wasn't such a nice engine after all.

Regardless, it was now time for me to leave for the day. I punched out, grabbed my coat, and walked back outside. Frieda was still sitting there, watching the ocean again. I walked to my car, and slumped into the drivers seat. If Frieda was here for a while, it would most likely be a strain on everyone.

I drove down the country road to my small house, and parked. As I got out, I stood in silence. The docks were always so noisy, so it helped to just listen to the peace and quiet for a few minutes every day. It's the small things that matter the most to some.

Once I got inside, I changed into more comfortable clothing, and made dinner. I switched on the radio to a pleasant musical station, and ate.

But, of course, right in the middle of my meal, the phone rang.

"Yes?" I answered. It was the Dock Assisant Manager.

" _Can you please come and do_ something _about this bloody German engine! She's frightening people and won't stop shouting._ " he said. I groaned internally.

"Fine. I'll be there soon." I said, slamming the phone down. I huffily walked back to my car, and drove back towards the docks.

When I got there, nothing seemed wrong, except that Frieda had moved to a different siding, and everyone seemed to be avoiding her. The Assistant Manager ran over to me as soon as I got out of the car.

"I've tried _everything_! Offered her jobs, offered to let her stay with Ivan, and I even told her she doesn't have to stay here! Sir Topham Hat is away to the mainland, so you're in charge!" he informed me.

Alright, it was time to put on the game face. I walked over to Frieda, arms crossed.

"Okay Frieda, what is the problem here? I've been told that we've been trying to accommodate you as best we can, and you've been nothing less than rude." I said sternly. Frieda didn't seem to be intimidated.

"Abzischen!" she snapped in reply. I had had enough. I stepped on her buffer bumper to be face to face with the grumpy blue engine.

"Alright, that does it! Listen here Missy. I don't care _how_ grumpy you are, _how_ much you want to go home, or _how_ big you are. You are an engine on this railway, of which I am in current command of. I don't tolerate engines who are rude to people who are just trying to help. Either you change your attitude, and at least try to be friendly, or I will have you locked in a shed until your ship is fixed, and then you can go back to your precious Germany, where I'm sure everyone puts up with you on a daily basis just fine! _Do you understand me_?!" I yelled, your face inches from hers.

Frieda was shocked indeed. I stepped down onto the ground, and waited for her answer.

"Well?" I asked. Frieda's expression had changed, but I couldn't place it exactly. It looked like a mix of worry, shock, and approval.

"I...I vill try to restrain myself. I am sorry for zee trouble I haf caused." she said quietly. I nodded.

"That's better! Now you can either help out at the docks starting tomorrow, or go and find something that you'd like to do. As for tonight, I'm going back home! I already had to come back once because of you, and if I have to come back again, I will be _very_ annoyed!" I said firmly. Frieda gently blew her whistle, and chuffed out of the siding, and around the corner without saying a word.

"That's what I thought." I muttered, walking back to my car. I stopped by the Assistant Managers office and poked my head in.

"If she starts shit again, call me _immediately_. I won't tolerate another instance like this from her." I instructed. The Assistant Manager nodded, and I finally went back home for the night.

. . .

As I lay in bed with my lamp on, heavily engrossed in a book I was reading before I went to sleep, the phone rang again.

"You've got to be kidding me." I grumbled, quickly climbing out of bed to answer it.

"What now?" I asked impatiently.

" _This is Vicarstown Station. We're just calling to let you know that we have an engine named Frieda who will be spending the night here. She told us to inform you, so you would know._ " said the voice on the other end. I sighed in relief.

"Fine. That's fine. Thank you for notifying me." I said, before hanging up. Maybe after both Frieda and I had a good nights sleep, we would be able to turn over a new leaf.

* * *

For all of those who have already told me, or for those about to, I _know_ Ivan is Russian. I put him on the same ship with Frieda because in the short about Frieda, she and Ivan traveled home together!


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, I arrived at the office early, so I could get some extra paperwork finished. I sat in my office in silence, the gentle ticking of my old fashioned wall clock and the scribbling of my pen the only sounds. After an hour, I finished the paperwork, and stretched. I opened the office door, and took a breath of fresh air. The first shift of workers were just beginning to arrive. Cranky was already loading the early ships, and everything was running smoothly, and quietly.

Once nine o' clock rolled around, I heard a very loud whistle from outside the office.

"About time." I muttered, going outside to meet Frieda. She puffed into the station, and stopped, releasing an unnecessarily large cloud of steam. I waved my hand around, trying to clear it, before raising an eyebrow at her.

"Really?" I asked. Frieda glared at me.

"Vat?" she asked innocently. My eye twitched.

"I don't have time for your games today, Frieda. I actually need your help keeping empty flatbeds available for Cranky today, if you would be so kind. It's going to be a busy day." I said.

"I already _told_ you, I don't shunt. Eet is beneath me." she snapped. I took a deep breath.

"Beneath you? Really? I'll have you know that _no_ engine is too good to do any job. We need help somewhere, that's where you help! I don't care if you weren't designed for it, the least you can do is _try_!" I replied sharply. Frieda didn't look very happy.

" _Fine_. I vill _try_ , but don't expecht much." she grumbled, chuffing backwards out of the station.

"Oi vey." I muttered. I walked around the dockyard, and everything seemed to be in order. I looked at my clip board of incoming and outgoing freight. It was going to be a very busy day indeed. Having Frieda around would be quite helpful. If she cooperated.

. . .

Things at the docks had been running smoothly for most of the day so far, up until lunch time. That's when things went downhill.

I had been sitting in my office when a massive _CRASH_! came from outside. I quickly ran out onto the platform, and could hardly believe my eyes.

Thomas was laying on his side next to the track, and Frieda was sitting on the track before him, looking mighty angry.

"Call me Gordon again, _Hündin_ , and _see_ vere it gets you." she growled. I threw my clipboard onto the ground.

"That's it." I muttered, walking towards the scene.

" _FRIEDA_!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. Everyone in the area was startled. I had _never_ yelled at anyone on the job. Even Frieda looked shocked. I stood before her, and pointed directly at her.

"This is it, I've had it. Go back to Vicarstown, or wherever the hell it is you're staying, and stay there! I will not tolerate you anymore. I will call Vicarstown myself and tell them to lock you in your shed. I've given you chances, but this is the last straw. I will _NOT_ tolerate damaging other engines!" I roared. Frieda actually looked ashamed, but said nothing. She slowly reversed out of the dock yard, and around the corner, without a word. I turned my attention to Thomas.

"What on _Earth_ did she do that for?" I asked him. Thomas sighed.

"I accidentally mistook her for Gordon. Again." he said. I waited for him to continue, but he said nothing else.

"That's it? You accidentally called her Gordon, and she rammed you off the rails onto your side!?" I asked, growing furious. Thomas blushed.

"Well, no. There's more than that. I always tease Gordon, but it's all in good fun. I thought she was Gordon, so I told her to stop being so lazy and trying working hard and being really useful like me. That's when she... _snapped_." he said. I put my face in my hands.

"Thomas Thomas Thomas. Regardless of whether you're teasing your friends in good fun or not, it's never a nice thing to do. And as you can see, it can cause trouble." I said sternly. Thomas was sad.

"Yes Sir. Sorry Sir." he said. I began to walk back towards my office.

"I'll have to call Rocky. He will be here shortly." I said.

I called the Sodor Search and Rescue Center, and they informed me that Rocky would be there soon.

. . .

Once the day was finally over, I had just clocked out, when Ivan rolled into the station.

"Hello Ivan. What can I do for you?" I asked, thankful that he was the polar opposite of Frieda.

"I'm wondering, have you seen Frieda lately? I've been trying to find her all day." he asked. I sighed.

"I've had her confined to her Vicarstown shed. She knocked an engine off of the rails on purpose today, and was not very kind yesterday." I said. Ivan looked glum.

"I see. While I understand what you did, I feel as if I should tell you a few things about Frieda." he said. I waited for him to continue.

"Frieda has it rough back home. She almost never gets a day off, and she never has any fun. She's built for speed, and loves to go fast, but the tracks back home are so crowded, she rarely gets to open up her throttle. How would you feel if you had to work all the time, doing the same thing, and never getting to do what you were designed for?" he asked.

I stood silently, pondering his question.

"Well, after a while, I would probably get a little... _grumpy_." I trailed off, realizing where Ivan was going. Ivan smiled.

"The Great Railway Show was Frieda's first day off in _months_ , and she was looking forward to it very much. But it wasn't what she thought. She was originally supposed to take part in the race of speed, but someone switched her with the competition of strength. She wasn't happy about that. She had been on a ship for days, only to find that she wasn't going to get to do what she was looking forward to. It doesn't help either that Frieda didn't perform well in the strength competition. Fourth out of five engines. She started doubting herself as an engine after that. She specifically told me that she wasn't as good an engine as the others were, because the one thing she was good at, speed, she never got to do. After that, she just wanted to go back home, but now, we're stuck here, in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar engines. Frieda is homesick, and has nothing to do here." he explained.

I sat on a nearby bench and sighed.

"So _that's_ why she was in such a bad mood." I muttered, before my eyes opened wider. "Oh dear. That might also explain why she reacted like she did at some of the things I said to her last night." I said. Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked. I folded my hands.

"I didn't outright say it, but I more or less told her to go back home where everyone would tolerate her poor attitude and demeanor." I said, feeling bad about what I had said. Ivan smiled.

"That stings more than you know, Sir. Back home, Frieda might be loved by some, but there are a lot of others who don't like her much. Our controller is one of them. He doesn't like having a big female engine on his railway. He says male engines are stronger, and more capable. He even told Frieda that she was only going to the railway show so the male engines could do her jobs properly for a while." he said.

I scowled.

"How could anyone be so sexually crude?" I asked. Ivan sighed.

"I do not know, but Frieda was looking forward to getting away from him for a while. But I don't think she sees here as much better of a place. She's been yelled at multiple times here, from what you've said, and you basically told her you didn't want her, just like our controller really doesn't want her either. She may come off as tough, but she still has feelings Sir, and I think they've been hurt badly." he finished.

I stayed quiet for a while.

"Well, I will leave you to it. I'm going to get some sleep. I'm still having some trouble with the time difference here." Ivan said, rolling out of the station. As I watched him go around the bend, I knew what needed to be done.

I needed to apologize to Frieda, and try harder to understand her.

. . .

I had made the long drive from to Vicarstown, hoping to find Frieda. I got out of my car, and walked to the sheds. Frieda was sitting in one of them, looking very sad. Once she saw me, she didn't even bother acknowledging my presence.

"I'm sorry Frieda." I said.

"Sorry for vat? I am a useless engine, von zat no one vants on their railway. You don't vant me here, and zhey don't vant me back home. Zat is not your fault." she said quietly. I stood before her calmly.

"Ivan told me about your life back home. I don't know what your controllers problem is with you, but I don't mind having you here Frieda. I am a big fan of yours, and I'm happy I got to meet you in person. I just wasn't ready for..." I paused, trying to find the correct word.

"My attitude?" Frieda suggested, looking ashamed. I sighed.

"A direct method of saying it, but yes. I didn't know why you were like that then, but I do now, and I'm sorry for the things I said." I said, putting a hand on Frieda's bumper. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Do you know vat eets like to be disliked?" she asked, finally looking at me. I nodded.

"Of course I do. Everyone has people who don't like them. We just have to accept that, and focus on the people who like you for who you are." I replied.

Frieda looked at me hopefully.

"Do you like me fhor who I am?" she asked. I smiled kindly at her.

"I do. You are a _very_ majestic engine, you know. Built for speed and beauty. I know you're disappointed with your placing at the strength competition, but that's not what you were designed for. You were designed for speed. Your massive wheels let you fly along the tracks at speeds others dream of. Engines with small wheels will benefit in the strength area. That's just not what you were designed for." I said. Frieda blushed.

"You like my veels?" she asked quietly. I nodded.

"They were one of the first things I noticed about you. The color red really highlights your blue. They look fantastic." I said. Frieda smiled slightly.

"I thank you. You are zee first to say so." she said.

"Not a problem. Would you like to do something tomorrow? I have the day off. Maybe you'd like to go for a speed run along the coast? There's a section of fairly straight track that runs for a few miles, with no speed limit. You could go as fast as you want." I said. Frieda's face immediately brightened.

"Is there really?!" she asked. I chuckled at her sudden change in demeanor.

"There is, and I would be happy to take you. I know you don't know your way around the island yet, so I can show you the sights. Sodor may not be a big place, but I think you'll find it a place to remember once you go back home." I said. At the mention of her home, her face fell again.

"I... I vish I could shtay here, vith you. I like eet here better zen back home. Eet is more relaxed und fhriendly." she said. I sighed.

"It is, most of the time. But even Sodor gets its busy days. Like today." I said. Frieda sighed.

"Und I vould haf made eet easier on everyone, but I had to go und get angry." she sighed, closing her eyes. I put a hand on her bumper again.

"It's alright, Frieda. If you'd like, I can explain to everyone why you are the way you are, and to have a little patience with you. Now I know that you're a very kind engine on the inside." I said. Frieda forced a smile.

"Thank you, but nein. I do not vant others knowing about my life back home. I vill try fery hard to be friendly." she said. I nodded.

"I think you'll be just fine if you put your mind to it." I said. Frieda slowly puffed backwards into her shed.

"Vell, I should probably geet some sleep and eenjoy hafing a shed vile eet lasts." she said. I scowled.

"You don't have a shed back home?" I asked. Frieda scoffed.

"Of course not. Ze controller does not haf enough for all of ze engines, so he puts his favorites in ze available sheds. I am his _least_ favorite." she replied sourly. I frowned, and stood up.

"Have a good night Frieda." I said, quietly exiting the shed. Frieda had already fallen asleep.

"Poor engine. Probably the first good sleep she's gotten in weeks." I muttered. As I got back into my car, I had an idea.

Sir Topham Hatt had mentioned that he needed some new engines for the growing amount of work on Sodor, and I was currently in charge. That meant I could do business, within reason.

Frieda liked it here. Her controller didn't like her. Sodor needed engines.

Maybe I should give her home in Germany a ring...

* * *

Again, I am aware Ivan is from Russia. Frieda told him about her poor experience's in Germany while she was on the ship with him.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, I woke up quickly and got my morning routine done as fast as I could. I knew Frieda would most likely be impatiently waiting for my arrival, so she could get moving.

After a little while, I was finally ready, and headed over to Vicarstown at once.

When I arrived, Frieda was already sitting outside her shed, a steady stream of steam rising from her funnel. Once she noticed me she blew her whistle.

"Hello! I am fery eagerly vaiting to go!" she said. I smiled, and walked over to her.

"I'm sure you are. I'm all set if you are. I'll give you directions along the way, and once we get to the straight, I'll give you the go ahead, and you can open up all the way!" I said, climbing into Frieda's cab. She chuffed out of the station, and onto the mainline.

"I haf not been able to recall the last time I vas able to go all out." she said as the two of us headed towards the coast. I poked my head out of her cab window.

"Well, I'm sure doing so today will bring back some happy memories." I replied.

The two of us traveled along for a good twenty minutes, before Frieda stopped at a red signal at the beginning of the straight.

"Once this signal turns green, Frieda, let her rip!" I said, patting her cab side. Frieda blew her whistle in excitement.

"I vould suggest you hold onto something." she warned, increasing her boiler pressure for an optimum start. I nodded, and grabbed one of the hand rails inside the cab. Suddenly, the signal turned green, and Frieda launched forward with a _violent_ jolt.

"Whoa!" I said aloud as Frieda rapidly picked up speed. Without any cars slowing her down, who knew how fast she could go? I watched her speedometer as it quickly rose. After a few minutes of racing along the straight track, Frieda was doing one hundred miles per hour, which is what her speedometer maxed out at.

"Frieda, you're doing one hundred miles per hour!" I shouted over the winding ripping past the cab. Frieda gently applied her brakes, and eventually slowed to a stop in a large siding. I shakily got out.

"Zat was fery fun!" she said gleefully. I stared at her with a bewildered look on my face. I had never gone that fast in my life!

"Sheesh. I didn't know you were capable of going _THAT_ fast!" I said, sitting on the ground. Frieda smiled at me.

"Eet eez as you said, eet eez vat I vas designed fohr." she said, releasing a pent up cloud of steam.

"Well, you're very good at it. I've never been that fast in my life." I said. Frieda laughed heartily.

"Vell I am glad I vas able to claim your firginity of speed." she said. I snorted.

"Hey, I've gone fast before... just not THAT fast." I defended. Frieda smirked.

"Ja ja, eef you say so."

The two of us sat on the siding for a while, letting Frieda gather her steam, and letting me calm down from the wild ride.

"Vat else eez there to do around here?" Frieda asked. I thought.

"Well, there's a lot to do, but I don't know how much of it you would enjoy. There's the beach, the Whispering Woods, the drive in movies, but that's all slow paced stuff. It's to bad we don't have any engine races on Sodor often." I said. Frieda smiled.

"Zat's alright. Going fast today vas enough fohr me." she said. She may have said that, but I knew she still wanted to go fast. I had another idea.

"You know, since I'm currently in charge of the railway, I could set up special events if I wanted to. Special events like... a race." I hinted. Frieda looked at me in curiosity.

"A race? Like a race on ze rails?" she asked. I nodded.

"I could have all the biggest and fastest engines come to participate. We could use that straight section of track from earlier, and a little before and after that. See who's really the fastest on Sodor. And you could be our special contender." I said. Frieda looked very happy.

"I would enjoy zat a lot. I haf not been able to compare my speed to another engine's in quite some time." she said. I smiled.

"Well, I'll get started on setting that up tomorrow when I return to work. For today, I'm still going to show you some of the special places on the island." I said, climbing back into her cab.

. . .

Throughout the day, I showed Frieda everything Sodor had to offer. The Quarry, the Whispering Woods, Ulfstead Castle, Lurcher's Castle, and even Toby's Windmill. The two of us enjoyed the trip immensely. At the end of the day, Frieda and I headed back to Vicarstown.

Frieda slowly reversed into her shed, before letting off steam. I got out and walked to her front.

"Thanks your fohr today, Sir. Eet vas ze most fun I've had in a long time. And you haf been kinder to me than almost anyone else has in a long time." she said, smiling at me. I stood there silently, just watching Frieda's expression. Eventually, I realized I had been staring, and looked away, blushing.

"You're welcome Frieda. I'm sorry I treated you so badly before this. It just goes to show that you need to get to know someone before you judge them." I replied, walking towards the shed door.

"Vill I see you tomorrow?" Frieda called quietly, looking at the ground in front of her bashfully. I smiled.

"If you'd like. I'll be at the docks again. Come help out if you want, or even if you just want to talk. I'll be there. I have to look into a race event that might be starting soon, you know." I said, walking out of the shed. As I closed the door, I heard Frieda laugh quietly from inside. It made me smile.

. . .

The next morning the first thing I did upon arriving at my office was set up the race event. It was Sunday, so a lot of business's and Express trains weren't operating, so the track that would be used was free. I posted advertisements about it at the dock station, and had all the other stations tell the high speed engines.

Around eight thirty, Caitlin the big magenta streamlined engine rolled into the dock station. She looked very excited.

"Oh Sir, are we _really_ having a big race this afternoon?!" she asked eagerly. I chuckled.

"Yes Caitlin, we are. I know you'll do well. You are one of the biggest, quickest engines on the island after all." I said. Caitlin blushed.

"Oh Sir, thank you! I love racing, but just racing Connor can get old after a while. It will be nice to have some competition." she said. I nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. As I said, I have no doubt that you'll do well. You certainly have the build for speed, after all." I said, glancing down at your clipboard.

"Will you root for me?" Caitlin asked.

Two things happened after that question. Frieda had pulled in about thirty seconds ago behind Caitlin, and was listening to our conversation, and I mindlessly gave Caitlin a typical answer as I was looking at the dock schedule.

"Sure." I replied. I heard a gasp, and a whistle blow. I looked up as Caitlin happily pulled out of the station, and then turned to the sound of the gasp, which was Frieda, who looked devastated.

"What's the matter Frieda?" I asked, unaware of how the situation looked from her view.

"You vould set up zis race vith me as a special guest, and zen root for _HER_ instead?" she asked. I tucked my clipboard under my arm.

"What? You're the special guest, why wouldn't I root for you?" I asked, unaware of what I had told Caitlin. Frieda looked unhappy.

"Because you vill be rooting fohr your _girlfriend_ instead of me. I should haf _known_ that you didn't really like me. After all, she is much more built fohr speed zen I am, and she is much stronger looking! I thought I finally had a friend who vas on my side, but I can see _clearly_ now. Zis race is just an excuse to get me off your back, and make _her_ happy!" she snapped, before quickly reversing out of the station.

"GIRLFRIEND?!" I asked loudly in utter confusion. I looked back and forth, between the direction Caitlin had gone, and the direction Frieda had gone.

"What in the _hell_ just happened?"


	4. Chapter 4

After sitting on the bench for a few minutes, I had put together what I believe had happened. Frieda _clearly_ heard me accidentally say I would root for Caitlin, and she _clearly_ thought I had betrayed her. She thought I had lied about liking her for who she is, and she thought I had lied about being her friend. I needed to find her, and explain.

Luckily, Caitlin was still in the dock yard. I ran over to her.

"Caitlin, I need your help! I need to find Frieda, and I need an engine who can catch her!" I said. Caitlin understood that this was a serious circumstance, and puffed forward.

"Then climb in! We'll find her!" she said. I quickly got into Caitlin's cab, and she lumbered off in pursuit of the blue German engine.

The two of us searched for a solid half an hour, before we were taking a rest in a siding. Suddenly, a blue blur rocketed by, and I knew who it was.

"That's her! Can you catch her?!" I asked. Caitlin quickly began chuffing forward, blowing her whistle.

"I will try!" she said, picking up speed behind Frieda. I knew, unfortunately, that Frieda most likely would not stop once she saw me, especially if I was with Caitlin.

"I need you to pull in front of her, so I can talk with her from your cab!" I called to Caitlin. She blew her whistle, and her boiler pressure rose as she quickly picked up speed.

As the two of us raced along, I could barely see Frieda in the distance. Her smoke trail was still overhead, thankfully.

We chased her for a few minutes, before Caitlin finally managed to pull up next to Frieda. When Frieda saw that is was me and Caitlin, sure enough, she tried to go faster, but according to Caitlin, we were already going nearly one hundred miles per hour.

"Frieda! Slow down!" I shouted. Frieda either didn't hear me, or she ignored me. Caitlin pumped her pistons, and managed to get me closer to Frieda's front. I stuck my head out the window, the wind nearly blowing out my eardrums.

"Frieda, stop! It wasn't what you thought!" I shouted. Frieda squinted into the wind from the speed she was going, tears occasionally flying from her eyes.

"Oh _really_? Zen vat vas it, eh? I've heard eet all before, and I've had enough. I'm going to make sure I von't be hurt ever again." she said, trying to go faster. My eyes widened as I realized that Frieda was going to try and destroy herself.

 _Suicide_.

"Caitlin, get your cab aligned with hers!" I called. Caitlin did so, and Frieda's cab entrance was directly next to her cab exit. An easy distance of about five feet.

Save for the facts that we were going one hundred miles per hour, there was no way to walk across, and both Caitlin and Frieda had just turned onto a dead end track that led into the ocean!

"I'm going to have to jump! If we go much further, you won't be able to stop in time, and I won't be able to stop her!" I shouted to Caitlin, who did her best to maintain her speed with Frieda's.

I slowly maneuvered myself to be on the step of Caitlin's cab, gripping her outer cab handle for dear life. The wind whipping across my face was so intense, I could barely see straight, the sound of rushing air filling my ears. I looked ahead, and saw danger signs in the distance. Frieda was going to launch herself into the ocean if I didn't move now!

I reached one hand as far as I could towards Frieda's cab handle, and with as much courage as I could muster...

 _I jumped._

My hand wrapped around Frieda's cab handle with so much force, it hurt my fingers. Pain shot through my wrist as my arm twisted under my un-stabilized weight, but I ignored it. I madly flailed as I managed to get myself on Frieda's cab step. I had made the jump successfully.

"Stop Caitlin! Emergency brakes!" I shouted to the magenta engine. The sound of metal screeching filled the air as Caitlin quickly slowed, disappearing from sight. I clambered into Frieda's cab, which was rocking back and forth due to the sheer velocity of the speed she was going. I quickly found the emergency brake, and pulled it with all of my strength, ignoring the increased pain in my wrist under the strain. Engines could drive themselves, but a pulled lever from the cab would override them. Frieda's brakes locked up her wheels as she slid down the line, sparks flying.

" _No_! Let me go!" she shouted as she tried to puff harder. I cut off all her steam and throttle, hoping that she would stop before the end of the track. Her speedometer quickly dropped, but Frieda didn't slow down quick enough.

She bashed through the track buffers at twenty miles per hour, and slid through the grass towards the sea. I thought both of us were dead.

Suddenly, Frieda hit a large rock firmly planted into the ground, and it caused her to slide sideways, her tender disconnecting itself from her in the process. Frieda leaned, and then flipped onto her side before grinding to a stop in the dirt, not twenty feet from the cliff that lead into the ocean. Her tender sailed off the cliff, throwing coal in all directions, before plummeting into the ocean below.

I had been thrown clear of her cab, and had landed in the dirt a few feet away. Frieda lay in the dirt next to me, sobbing.

"Vhy did you _stop_ me? I could haf finally been free! Free from everyone's hatred towards me!" she asked. I stood up, clutching my wrist as my body ached, but I still managed to stumble over to Frieda.

"I _don't_ hate you Frieda! I like you a lot! I didn't mean to say that I would root for Caitlin, I was distracted! She's not my girlfriend! I've only met her a few times! _She's from the Mainland!_ " I shouted as I fell to the ground, pain searing through my leg as well now. Frieda was looking at me, grimacing from my apparent pain, and her own. She was heavily damaged, after all.

"So, you really _do_ like me?" she asked.

" _Yes_!" I hissed through my teeth, trying to straighten my leg out to a less painful position. Frieda was silent for a few minutes, before she burst into tears.

"Vat a _fool_ I haf been! I was blind with jealousy, and you almost died because of eet!" she said. I tried to smile at her.

"I saved your life Frieda. That was worth the risk. I can't let such a beautiful engine get destroyed feeling unloved by anyone. That's just not true." I said. Frieda blushed.

"Vat about Caitlin? Surely she eez more attractive zen me. She's faster, sleeker, stronger, und nicer. I am just a mean engine." she said quietly. I rolled onto my stomach in the grass and faced her.

"Caitlin might be different from you Frieda, but I like you much better. You're much more mature than her, much more interesting to be with, and much more beautiful. Caitlin is just a young girl to me, but you Frieda... you have the face and will of a strong woman." I said. Frieda looked at me with widened eyes.

"But vouldn't you rather be vith a young girl over a grumpy woman?" she asked. I strained a laugh.

"You know Frieda, I'm probably your biggest fan. Take this as you will, but I've had a crush on your for quite some time. You have a beautiful body, a gorgeous womanly face, and a good heart, even if you don't always show it. I know I'm not the first to have feelings for an engine." I said. Frieda's mouth was open in shock.

"You really like me zat much?" she asked. I nodded. Frieda bit her lip.

"I like you too." she said, blushing madly. Now it was my turn to be shocked. "Not because of your looks, but because you were the first to be kind to me een a long time. You cared fohr me und my feelings, even before you knew about my life. You velcomed me to Sodor ven no one else vould. You do not know vat zat _meant_ to me." Frieda said, tears in her eyes. I smiled, and raised my good arm to place a hand on Frieda's bumper.

"Well then I'm sure you'll be happy to know that you'll be staying on Sodor." I announced. Frieda was confused.

"Vat do you mean? My home is in Germany." she said. I scoffed.

"Did it really feel like home to you?" I asked. Frieda looked at the ground she was laying on, then back at me.

"Nein, eet did not." she finally said. I nodded.

"Home is where you feel welcome. Where your friends are. Your home is here. I called your controller in Germany a while ago, and I bought you from him. You're part of this Railway now." I said, before groaning in an excessive amount of pain.

Before I could hear or see Frieda's reaction, I passed out from the unbearable pain in my leg. Everything went black as coal.

. . .

The second I came to, I was blinded by bright white lights.

"Argh! Geez!" I said, putting a hand up to shield my eyes. Once my vision cleared, I realized that I was in a hospital room. I remembered the accident, and it all made sense. A nurse poked her head into the room.

"Oh! You're awake! I'll let the doctor know right away!" she said, before disappearing. I looked around while waiting for the doctor. The small window in my room showed that it was night, most likely the night of the same day. Unless I had been unconscious for days, which I hoped wasn't the case.

"Ah, I'm glad your awake! You were in a _nasty_ accident." a man said entering the room. He sat on the edge of the bed, which made me notice that one of my legs was wrapped in a thick cast. So was one of my arms.

"You were lucky. You just have a broken leg, and a sprained wrist. We were just keeping you here until you woke up. You've been out for about nine hours." he said, looking through his paperwork. He clucked his tongue.  
"Yes, you're good to go. Would you like a pair of crutches, or a wheelchair?" he asked.

"Crutches are fine." I replied. The Doctor nodded to the Nurse, who left for a moment, and then came back with two crutches. I maneuvered myself to the edge of the bed, and then managed to stand, leaving most of my weight on the crutches and good leg.

"Just visit the front desk. They'll help you with your discharge forms. Have a nice night." the Doctor said, before leaving the room.

. . .

About half an hour later, I finally managed to exit the hospital. I was just wondering how I was going to get home, until Rebecca puffed to a stop on a nearby track.

"Sir? Are you alright?" she asked. I smiled at her.

"I'm fine, Rebecca. Just a little accident. Why aren't you in your shed? You should be asleep by now." I said. Rebecca blushed.

"I know Sir, but I'm here with a message. Frieda is at the Steamworks, undergoing repairs, and she wants to see you badly." she said. I sighed.

"I suppose she does. Would you mind taking me?" I asked. Rebecca smiled.

"I would be happy to Sir." she said. I slowly climbed into Rebecca's cab, being careful to avoid putting any weight on my bad leg, and then Rebecca and I were off to the Steamworks.

. . .

After Rebecca dropped me off, I sent her to Tidmouth for a good nights rest. I gripped my crutches, and slowly made my way into the Steamworks. All was still, for the most part. Victor and Kevin were sitting outside, sleeping, and the only sound coming from inside was whimpering.

I found Frieda sitting on a side track inside the Steamworks, various tools and parts scattered around her. She had her eyes closed, with tear stains running down her face. Her breathing was labored and shaky, and as a whole, she looked miserable. Like she had just lost a friend that was very close to her.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case today. I walked up to her, and cleared my throat. She barely opened her eyes, before closing them. Suddenly, the opened wide in shock.

"Glad to see your repairs are underway." I said, smiling. Frieda inhaled a sharp breath, before letting a low sob escape.

"I thought you ver _dead_!" she said, forcing her eyes shut in an attempt to stop her tears. I propped myself on one crutch, and placed my free hand on her bumper.

"I'm far from it. Just a broken leg and a sprained wrist." I said, hoping to calm her. Frieda sniffed, and exhaled shakily.

"You passed out. I thought you veren't going to vake up. I thought... I had killed you, because of my selfishness." she whispered. I leaned against Frieda's buffers.

"Just from the pain. It wouldn't have been your fault anyway. I didn't have to stop you. But I care about all my engines, you included. I wasn't going to let you do something so violent because you thought you weren't liked by anyone. That just isn't true." I said. Frieda smiled a little.

"I see zat now. You like me. Very much, apparently." she said. I blushed. Had I told her about my crush on her? I couldn't remember.

"Ah. And uh... why do you say that?" I asked, trying not to blush.

"Because you haf told me. Do you not remember?" she asked. I ran a hand through my hair.

"I can't say I remember most of what happened, besides stopping you, and passing out from pain." I admitted. Frieda thought.

"So... you don't remember _anything_ vee said to each other?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Afraid not. I shouldn't have said anything about how I feel towards you. I've probably crept you out thoroughly." I said, waiting for Frieda to agree with me.

"I do not mind." she said, to my surprise.

"Seriously? You're not weirded out by the fact that a human likes you that much?" I asked. Frieda smiled.

"Nobody can help vat zhey feel." she said, although it was written on her face that there was something she wasn't saying. I nodded.

"Well, I'm glad you don't mind. You don't have a human body, but you have a very beautiful face, and a lovely personality. Plus, I love your accent." I said. That last part looked like news to Frieda, so I must have told her the other bits already.

"You like eet? You do not find eet hard to understand?" she asked, blushing. I shook my head.

"I can understand it enough. I think it matches you perfectly. A German accent is... well, I don't know. But I always love hearing it." I said, standing back up on my crutches.

"I am glad you think so. Do you remember zat you haf purchased me from my old controller?" Frieda asked. I nodded.

"I _do_ remember telling you that. I wasn't going to tell you until I thought you would be happy here, but when you went hysterical, that was the time." I said. Frieda sighed.

"I haf been a fool. I like eet here very much. I cannot belief you vould buy me just fohr my sake." she said, looking guilty. I smiled.

"I didn't just do it for you Frieda, although that was the main reason. I also did it because I like you, and Sodor could always use another engine, especially a nice strong and fast one like you. Who knows, maybe you'll end up as a couple with Gordon." I joked. Frieda didn't smile, or seem to take much notice of my wise crack at all.

"I doubt it. I haf had my eye on someone else." she said, glancing at me before blushing, and looking the other way. I shrugged.

"Oh. Well whoever the lucky engine is, I'm sure they're a nice." I said, before walking around Frieda, inspecting her damage. Her tender was a lost cause. It had not even been retrievable, because it had tumbled into the ocean. Frieda herself looked to be mainly just covered with dents. All of the serious damage had already been repaired.

"I'll have to order you a tender tomorrow. You can't very well run without one, can you?" I said, sitting on a stack of wood next to Frieda. She sighed.

"I cannot. Eet serves me right, not being able to go out for a while. Eet vill give me time to think about what I haf done. I vill make sure I never do eet again." she said. I smiled.

"You're being harder on yourself than anyone else is. I don't think most engines could put up with what you have for as long as you have. Everyone can only take so much." I said.

"You are a fery vise man." Frieda stated.

"Really? I don't think I'm that smart. Just your average guy, who works during the day, and sleeps during the night." I mused. Frieda disagreed.

"You are no average man, Anon. Ven I get repaired, I vould like to go up to the crash sight. May vee do zat?" she asked. I nodded.

"If that's what you want, sure. I'd be happy to take you." I said. Frieda smiled, and yawned.

"If you vould not mind, I would like to get some sleep. I haf been up all night." she said. I patted her bumper.

"I'll leave you to it, then. Sweet dreams, Frieda." I said, before quietly exiting the Steamworks.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days, Frieda had been repaired, and her new tender had also arrived. When I arrived at the Steamworks, she was sitting outside, building up steam.

"You look good as new!" I said, cheerfully hobbling up to her. She smiled.

"I feel vonderful. I haf not felt this good een years." she said. I glanced back at her new tender. The shape was slightly different from her old one, but it was still a good fit.

"Do you like your new tender? Is it comfortable?" I asked. Frieda nodded.

"Eet is different, but I vill get used to eet. I haf a few things to tell you, but I vould prefer to do eet at the crash sight. May we go there now?" she asked. I slowly got into her cab, and put my crutches up against the back wall.

"I'm ready when you are." I said. Frieda blew her whistle, and departed from the Steamworks.

. . .

Once the two of us reached the end of the line, where Frieda had almost gone over, we both flinched. The remains of the accident were still there. A crushed set of buffers, large chunks of dirt ripped from the ground, and coal lay everywhere.

"I'm going to have to get someone to take care of this later." I said, gently stepping onto the ground. Frieda looked guilty, but said nothing. The two of us sat in silence for a while, looking off the edge of the island out onto the ocean. It was a calm day, with clear skies. The sun shone brightly overhead, and Frieda's new coat of blue paint shone brightly in the light.

"Do you remember ven you complimented my veels?" Frieda suddenly asked. I looked at her.

"Yeah? They're nice wheels. The red really goes with your blue body." I said. Frieda's face reddened.

"Complimenting an engine's veels is more of an intimate compliment, you know. Zhe veels are one of ze defining factors on vat makes an engine attractive to other engines. Usually, ze bigger, ze better." she said. I swallowed.

"Oh. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable when I said I liked them. I shouldn't have said anything." I said nervously. Frieda released a cloud of steam.

"I did not say that I minded."

I looked up at her in confusion.

"Well if you didn't mind, then why bring it up?" I asked. Frieda bit her lip.

"Zat... is vhy I vanted to come up here. I told you something here zat you do not remember." she said. I waited for her to continue. She looked very nervous.

"Eet vas easier to say ven there vas other things going on." she said, before taking a deep breath. "I like you. Very much so." she finally said. I raised an eyebrow.

"You mean... as a friend... or..." I paused, waiting for an answer.

"More zhen friend. I feel towards you as you feel towards me. Affection, care, and love. Very much love." she said. I blushed.

"But... why?" I trailed off, trying to find the right words. Frieda smiled.

"Engine and human relationships are getting more common, you know. Some are finding that zey love ze personality of another, instead of physical attraction. Zat is how it should be. It matters not vat one looks like, but vat eez inside. You vere ze first to show any care towards me, und you vanted to be my friend. Zat did not go without stirring up some feelings. I just... didn't show eet." she explained.

I was silent as I remembered everything I had done towards Frieda.

"And when I yelled at you?" I asked. Frieda chuckled.

"You ver ze first to stand up to me in a fery long time. I find having ze confidence to stand up for yourself or others ven necessary to be a redeeming quality." she said. I nodded.

"I couldn't have you holding up the whole dockyard, could I?" I asked. Frieda smirked.

"I suppose vat I am trying to tell you eez... I vould be interested in having a relationship vith you, but only eef you vould vant one." she said, blushing.

Frieda, the last engine I ever would have expected to see me as anything more than a friend, wanted to be my... special friend? Girlfriend certainly wouldn't work, she was an engine. I thought it would be nice. I liked her a lot, after all.

"I would love that, Frieda. I think you and I have a lot in common. We could have many adventures together." I said. A few tears escaped Frieda's eyes, and rolled down her cheeks.

"I haf never had a special friend befohr. Vat do zhey do?" she asked. I scratched my head.

"Well, they go out and do things together, they learn about each other, they uh... have more physical contact?" I said, trying to think of everything I could. Frieda looked excited.

"Eet all sounds like fun. Vee already know about each other, and vee have already done things together! Vhat about ze physical contact? Can we do zat?" she asked. My face reddened slightly.

"Umm... not so much. You don't have a human body, so it's not really _possible_." I said. Frieda looked disappointed.

"Oh." she said.

"Hey, we can have a relationship without that you know. There is one thing those in a relationship that we could do, but I don't think we're ready yet. We literally just decided to give us a shot." I said. Frieda agreed.

"I suppose so." suddenly, her face fell. "But vat about zhe race? I assume eet vas cancelled, vith you een ze hospital and all." she said. I nodded.

"It wasn't canceled, just postponed. All of the engines who will be participating are still here, I just had them wait until you were ready. The whole thing is for you, after all." I said. Frieda was surprised.

"So ve will still have eet?" she asked. I nodded.

"Any time you'd like. Today, if you want." I suggested. Frieda puffed happily.

"I vould like zat. Does eet take place ver I vas able to run?" she asked.

"Yep. Let me just make a call, and we'll have it set up in a few hours." I said, pulling out my cellphone.

. . .

True to my word, within a few hours, there was a large group of people waiting for the race, and six engines who were ready to compete. The track was only three wide, so the engines would go in groups of three, and then the winners would face off. The engine's participating were Gordon, Frieda, Caitlin, Connor, The Flying Scotsman, and Rebecca. The six fastest engines around.

First up was Caitlin, The Flying Scotsman, and Rebecca. As the three of them rolled up to the starting line, the crowd cheered for their favorites. Caitlin looked excited, the Flying Scotsman looked confident, and Rebecca looked nervous. I stood to the side of them.

"All right! It's a good long stretch to the other end, so give it your best! This is just for fun, so don't take it all that seriously!" I said, standing back, a large flag in hand. The three engines had their eyes on me, large amounts of steam being built up inside their boilers.

" _GO_!" I shouted, ripping the flag through the air. The crowd exploded with cheers as the first three engines left the starting line. Rebecca was the quickest off the line, but the Flying Scotsman and Caitlin weren't far behind. Soon enough, they were around the corner, out of sight.

"We'll have to wait until they get back before we know the winner!" I called to the crowd. As the crowd chattered among themselves about who they thought would win, I walked over to Frieda, who looked extremely nervous. I noticed almost immediately.

"What's wrong? You don't look like you want to be here." I asked. Frieda looked at the ground.

"I don't think I vill do vell. Ze engines I vill be going against all look fery quick." she said, looking towards Connor and Gordon. I smiled.

"I don't know about Connor's speed, but Gordon definitely isn't as quick as you. He's a strong engine, and pretty quick, but speed wasn't his design." I said. Frieda looked at me.

"Do you think I vill win?" she asked. I smiled, and put a hand to her bumper.

"I _know_ you will. You show everyone that you are just as good as the boys. Prove your old controller wrong." I said. At my words, a determined smile appeared on Frieda's face.

"I vill! I am Frieda, fast and strong!" she said. I smiled at her change in demeanor.

A few minutes later, the first three engines arrived back. Caitlin was the winner.

"Alright, Caitlin is the winner of the first round. The next three engines, approach the start line!" I called. Frieda, Connor, and Gordon rolled up even with the signal box.

"Again, it's all in good fun, so give it your best, but don't hurt yourself!" I said. Gordon blushed as he remembered how he blew his boiler the last time he raced. Right before I waved the flag, I gave Frieda a nod.

" _GO_!" I shouted, waving the flag. Frieda _HAULED_ off the line, immediately leaving Connor and Gordon behind. Both had shocked expression's on their faces. The three engines were out of sight within seconds. I turned to the crowd.

"Well, I don't know about you folks, but that race looked over from the start to me!" I said. The crowed murmured in agreement. Five minutes later, Frieda arrived back at the start line, Connor and Gordon a ways behind.

"We have a second winner!" I said as Frieda slowed to a stop next to me. Once the other two engines had passed, I had Frieda and Caitlin line up. Caitlin offered a smile to Frieda, who looked focused.

"Alright folks, the fastest against the fastest! American power versus German engineering! Female powerhouse against female powerhouse! Magenta or blue?! Stripes versus..."

" _GET ON WITH IT!_ " someone shouted. I flinched as Caitlin and Frieda looked like they were about to laugh.

" _GO_!" I shouted, waving the flag. Sparks flew as Frieda and Caitlin's wheels slipped under their full throttle start. Soon enough, they were rocketing down the beginning straight, and around the corner.

"You can do it Frieda. I know you can!" I said to myself.

Ten minutes later, Frieda came back in a rapid hurry. I was going to announce her as the winner, but she looked worried.

"It looks like Frieda is the first back! And Caitlin is..." I paused as I did not see Caitlin behind Frieda.

" _Derailed_!" Frieda shouted once she got close enough. I dropped the megaphone as Frieda slid to a stop, causing it to give out a screech. "She had derailed on ze last corner near ze finish line!" Frieda repeated. Loud murmurs of concern began to ripple through the crowd. I quickly got on my phone.

"Get Harold, Rocky, and the breakdown crane up here at once!" I ordered to the Sodor Search and Rescue manager. I snapped my phone shut, and turned to Frieda.

"What happened?" I asked calmly. Frieda took a breath.

"Ve vere side by side befohr ze corner, so I pumped my pistons harder to gain ze lead! As ve entered ze corner, ze back of my tender came off zhe tracks, and bumped into Caitlin! Ze bump rerailed ze tender, but derailed her! She's stuck on the side of track." she babbled. I noticed a large dent and magenta scrapes on Frieda's new tender.

"I see. Can you make it back up to her? I need to get their before the emergency crew does." I said, hobbling into Frieda's cab. Frieda quickly reversed down the line, as there was not time to turn around. After a few minutes reversing at breakneck speed, I saw Caitlin sitting on the side of the track. She was on her wheels, but she had an awful tear in her streamlined body. Frieda stopped, and I quickly got out.

"Caitlin! Are you alright?!" I asked. Caitlin smiled.

"I'm okay, just derailed. And my boiler hurts. Is it damaged?" she asked. I nodded.

"Your boiler has been punctured. I've called for the breakdown crane and others. We need to get you to the Steamworks at once!" I said. I turned back to Frieda.

"Can you pull Caitlin? She's a large engine, and will need a strong engine to pull her to the Steamworks." I asked her. Frieda smiled.

"Of course I vill. Eet is my fault, after all." she said. Caitlin laughed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Frieda. It wasn't your fault. We were both going to fast for the corner, it just hit you harder than it did me. Your new tender might need some adjusting in the suspension before it's suited for your speeds." she said. Frieda was confused.

"You're not _mad_?" she asked feebly. Caitlin smiled kindly.

"Of course not. I also know that it was my fault as to what happened with your crash earlier, and would like to apologize. I shouldn't have asked Anon to root for me." she said. Now it was Frieda's turn to look guilty.

"I should not haf been so quick to assume ze worst." she said. I smiled as the two engines made up.

"Well, in any case, you won the race. Congratulations Frieda! You are the fastest engine on Sodor." Caitlin said. I turned to look at Frieda, who looked shocked.

"B-But ve didn't even finish ze race!" she protested. Caitlin smiled.

"I was already pushing myself to hard, and you kept going faster. You're faster than me when you really try." she said. I clapped my hands.

"Congratulations Frieda, I told you you could do it!" I said. Frieda smiled.

"Thank you Anon, but ve need to vorry about Caitlin right now." she said.

. . .

Within the next hour, everything had been taken care of. Caitlin had been set back onto the tracks, and Frieda had carefully pulled her to the Steamworks so she could be repaired. The crowd had been informed of the winner, and all went to swarm around Frieda and congratulate her. The sheer amount of glee on her face when she was surrounded by her new fans was amazing.

Eventually, the crowd had thinned, and Frieda wanted to go rest in her shed.

"Actually, the Vicarstown Shed has been occupied by another engine. I thought you might like to see your own shed, if you'd like." I said. Frieda looked curious.

"I haf my own shed?" she asked. I nodded.

"All engines on the Island of Sodor get a place to stay." I said as Frieda followed my directions to her new shed. I told her to stop outside of my house.

"I've had a little work done. Tracks were built, and a huge storage shed was repaired. Welcome home, Frieda." I said, leading her forwards down the newly built track that lead to the massive shed next to my house. Frieda looked at the shed, and began to cry.

"I haf never had a home befohr. I don't... I don't know vat to say." she said. She slowly puffed inside. The interior was light by several LED light bulbs, and a window on one side. Once she stopped, I leaned against the shed wall.

"Don't say anything. I'm happy to have such a special engine so close to my home." I said, waiting for her to catch on. Frieda's eyes widened.

"Vat do you mean? Vere do you live?" she asked. I smiled.

"Didn't you see the house next to the shed? That's my place. I've had this shed behind my place for years, and I finally was able to use it. The tracks were built to it over the past few days, per my order. Welcome home Frieda." I said.

Frieda looked all around her in shock, before finally looking at me.

"You...you are ze best thing to ever happen to me." she finally said. I walked over, and leaned against her bumper.

"And you've given me things I didn't really know if I'd ever have. A companion, and special friend, and my very own engine." I said. Frieda sighed, before closing her eyes.

"Vill you do something fohr me?" she asked. I looked at her.

"Of course. Anything." I said. Frieda wet her lips.

"Vill you kiss me?" she asked finally. My heart skipped a beat. But instead of answering, I carefully got myself standing on the flat piece of her bumper, so my face was level with hers. I leaned into her, and met her lips with mine.

It was about five seconds of contact, but what a five seconds it was. As soon as we parted, I stumbled back off of her bumper, and fell onto the ground. Thankfully, my bad leg and wrist was avoided.

"Ow." I said, staring straight up at the ceiling. Frieda laughed.

"I enjoyed zat fery much." she said.

"So did I." I said, finally managing to get up. The two of us looked at each other for a few minutes, before I patted Frieda's bumper.

"I'm so very glad that ship broke down, you know? If it hadn't, I never would have met you that day. You'd be back in Germany, with an unkind controller, and no room to run." I said. Frieda smiled.

"I don't even vant to think about zat. I'm here now, and here eez vere I vill stay. With you." she said. I leaned my head against her.

"Nothing would make me happier." I said. Eventually, I fell asleep with my head against Frieda's bumper. As she watched me sleep against her, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"ich liebe dich" she whispered, before she closed her eyes, and began dreaming about her new life on Sodor.


End file.
